After the University of Georgia won its second straight national championship, PETA drew attention to the school’s use of a live bulldog as its mascot.
The group claimed last month that the school’s use of Uga «drives demand for breeds with respiratory problems (BIB)» such as pugs, boxers and English and French bulldogs.
The animal rights organization called on the school to discontinue the use of Uga and to be «a winner not only in football but also in its treatment» of animals.
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University of Georgia mascot Uga X during a game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia. (Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Two former Bulldog players responded to PETA and defended the use of Uga.
«I don’t think people know how well Uga lives,» former punter Tavarres King told TMZ Sports. «That dog is loved, bro. Chill out, PETA.»
Former running back Knowshon Moreno echoed King’s comments.
«You would be getting rid of a lot of tradition,» he said. «I feel like those pets live the best lives… Uga lives life.»
Uga might even get a better deal on road trips than the players, King said.
«Even in away games, you get on the plane. Uga is the first seat on the plane… Uga is very well treated,» he added.
Georgia’s mascot, UGA X, during a game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on November 27, 2021 at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta. (David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
PETA wrote that using a live mascot is «outdated.»
«As a back-to-back national champion, can’t UGA find it in its heart to honestly examine the impact of its deformed dog promotion and call time on its outdated live animal mascot program?» PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital last month. “PETA asks (University of Georgia President) Jere Morehead to be a peach and replace poor Uga with a human mascot who can support the team in a winning way.
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«PETA, whose tagline reads, in part, ‘animals are not ours for entertainment’ and which opposes speciesism, a human supremacist worldview, notes that Uga is a living, sentient being, not a toy to be carried around. soccer stadiums across the country and jogged in front of dozens of screaming fans.»
Despite multiple pleas from the organization, it doesn’t look like there will be a change.
Georgia Bulldog Mascot Uga near the end zone before the Sugar Bowl against the Baylor Bears at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 1, 2020 in New Orleans. (Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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«We are proud of our beloved mascot and grateful for the excellent care provided by Uga’s devoted owners, the Seiler family,» Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks said in a statement last month to Fox News Digital.
There have been 10 «Ugas» since the mascot was first introduced in 1956, each descended from the original Uga.